Discipline and Diabetes Management
From what I've read online; people who struggle with their diabetes management lack one important tool; discipline.
Discipline is key when it comes to your diabetes management.
What is Discipline ?
Mmm I don't really know the exact definition.
Maybe it could be doing things you have to do even when you don't want to?
Feel free and go ahead and google the exact definition.
There are also probably thousands of books about discipline.
But let me give you an example.
Right now it is 8:15 PM. Tuesday Nov 26th.
Tomorrow is Nov 27th, which is the day I send out this newsletter.
So if you've been getting this newsletter that means I have to send out a newsletter tomorrow. Wednesday.
Im writing the newsletter right now.
Is this discipline? Yeah. I think so. Or maybe I just left this one for the last minute? Could be…
I can also just not send it and come up with some excuses like, sorry guys I was sick. Nah. I'm not doing that.
I just finished my tuesdays’ legs workout.
I grabbed my laptop and now I'm sitting down writing the newsletter.
This is discipline. This is commitment.
Going back to people who struggle with diabetes management.
Clearly from what I've read online people:
-Don't monitor their blood sugars
-Don't exercise
-Don’t measure the foods they eat
-Don’t know the right insulin doses
-Don't have a routine
And many more that I might be missing right now.
But all of these clearly suggest a lack of . . . Discipline.
10 years ago when I was diagnosed I can tell you I didn't have the discipline I have today.
Discipline in the fields of working out, reading, cooking, meditating, praying.
Diabetes taught me to be disciplined.
Not because I really wanted to but because I had to. I had no choice.
One thing that started my discipline journey was just writing down my blood glucose levels in a log so my doctor could track and adjust my insulin doses.
Grabbing a piece of paper, writing down the date, what I ate, the time and the amount of insulin I Injected to cover that food; started to build discipline in me.
And the discipline I have today is thanks to … Guess ?
Diabetes? Oh yeah. 100%
Today I want to give you some tips on how to develop discipline.
Am I the most disciplined person in the world? Nah. I'm very far from that.
But do I have the discipline to take care of my diabetes management ?
YES I DO.
Why ? Because I had to build discipline, little by little.
So the main problem is a lack of discipline ?
You don't know how to develop discipline ?
Let me give you some tips for each of these below:
-Monitoring blood sugar levels:
I'm pretty sure you have a blood glucose meter or CGM.
Start with setting 3 different alarms.
1 As soon as you wake up
2 Noon and
3 Before bed
Check three times if you have to prick your fingers (at least, minimum)
If you can do this for one whole week, you will start to develop this discipline to track blood sugar levels.
If you have a CGM, you really don't have any excuses to not track your blood sugars.
-Exercising:
Can you at least walk? 30 Minutes? 1 Hour? Daily ?
What physical activity can you commit to do at least 3 days per week ?
Write it down in a notebook and start.
Example:
Monday: Walk 1 hour (at this X hour)
Wednesday: Swim ? (at this x hour)
Friday: Walk 30 Min (at this x hour)
Find something you can do as physical activity and enjoy doing at least 3 days per week.
Add more days if you want later on.
Start with small steps and add more.
Just start.
-Measuring the foods you eat:
Do you know the amount of rice, potatoes or any other food you consume when you sit down to eat?
Amazon or Walmart sell measuring cups.
Buy them and use them.
Measure it. Measure your servings. This really helps.
Start with Monday's lunch, then Tuesday's dinner. Just get in the habit.
Eventually you will know exactly what you eat and how much.
Diabetes requires being precise with foods.
Estimating is better than just eating and guessing.
I still, to this day, measure the amount of carbs that I eat. And this is what allows me to have in range glucose levels.
Do I measure foods at restaurants? No. But I have learned and know just by looking at the food the amount more or less of what I eat. It gives me an idea.
-Knowing the right insulin doses:
This is personal, you need to find out your insulin to carb ratio.
How much 1 unit of insulin will cover x amount of carbs.
You need to test this with your endocrinologist, primary care doctor.
And find the ratio that works for you.
My personal one is 1 unit of insulin covers 15 grams of carbs. 1:15
Thats what works for me.
I will teach you how to do this in a future letter.
So to close this letter:
Managing diabetes requires having discipline.
Discipline to test and track your blood sugar levels.
Discipline to exercise.
Discipline to measure the foods you eat.
Discipline to bolus the right doses of insulin at the right times.
If you follow me on instagram @dieabeast you can see that everything I write here I back it up with actions.
Feel free to follow me and see my stories on what I do everyday.
If you still struggle with your diabetes control or need help, I am going to help you.
We will figure this out; Read below:
I’ve been a type 1 diabetic for the past 10 years of my life and I spent 2 years writing THE MANUAL where I explain how to be disciplined and talk about all the tips and tools I use everyday in order to keep blood sugars levels in range.
Whenever you are ready heres the link: The Manual
I wrote The Manual:
For those who fought diabetes,
For those who are fighting diabetes
And for those who will fight diabetes…
Take care,
DIE-A-BEAST
